This is a pretty broad subject line - I welcome anyone to add to this thread. I came across this interpretive sign today, explaining how the meadow between Lost Lagoon and English Bay is being allowed to develop into a more natural wetland. Here is the Silverweed, Potentilla anserina. Wikipedia (Argentina anserina - Wikipedia) says Argentina anserina is a synonym, yet the entry is curiously filed under Argentina - that's not usually how they do things. The few folklore bits on that page are interesting. Fortunately, this stuff is attractive - there is a lot of it here. I think these are plants are both Geum macrophyllum:
I'd have saved myself a lot of time if I'd remembered I posted this thread last year and had these two plants identified. At least I came up with the same names again this year. It's a study in yellow right now - very cheery. Fortunately, this area in Stanley Park is within walking distance for me, as most of the parking is still blocked off, and the park roadways are given over to bikes. This is just inland from Second Beach, on the west side of the bike path along the Greig Rhododendron Garden. Here is the Potentilla anserina, a lot of what you see in the first photo. (Ha! - I caught the browser gods this time - I copied and pasted that name, and there was an "e" instead of an "a" at the end. I kept wondering why I was always typing an "e" where there was supposed to be an "a". I pasted it and it was changed. I feel so much better, even if I did have to correct three other mistyped words in that sentence.) This is obviously a horse trail for the RCMP (mounted police), whose stables are nearby. And Geum macrophyllum, with red stems, standing tall among the Potentilla. Those two are native plants, but I'm not certain that they got here all on their own. On the other hand, the rest of what I am posting here in this meadow are listed as Exotic on E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia, and they probably did get here on their own, except for the viburnum. Here are two buttercups - Ranunculus repens, creeping buttercup, and the taller Ranunculus acris, meadow buttercup. The name sounds like it belongs here, anyway. Right on the edge of this meadow is a Viburnum rhytidophyllum, leatherleaf viburnum, and I think it's covered with Cuscuta, dodder. I know it would seem that if I could get up to the viburnum flowers, I could get closer to the dodder fruits to get them in focus, but it was not the case. I'm not sure that I've ever seen dodder before; someone could tell me if that's not what this is. [Edited, not dodder - see below].
@wcutler, Hi Wendy apart from Stanley Park looking so naturally beautiful, you have also mentioned two things very close to my heart, regarding who uses this trail. To add; we try and try aesthetically with our gardens, but IMO nature beats us hands down every time. Lovely photos, have enjoyed them very much. D
But are those bindweed fruits? Also down here at least this year's new growth of bindweed is up and at 'em, I see no sign of fresh shoots under the viburnum. It is true that the old, persisting stems shown here are certainly like it.
